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American retailers pioneering on-the-move sales

Monday, March 9, 2015 - 15:33 by Mike Price

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With the rise of shopping online and m-commerce services, consumers are now accustomed to carrying out purchases while they are out and about, rather than having to stick to specific bricks and mortar stores or stay at home to buy from the web.

However, retailers are coming up with innovative new ways to court customers wherever they happen to be, with the Guardian reporting that across the pond in America, some fashion start-ups are innovating by taking to the streets in trucks and selling their wares while on four wheels.

Businesses in New York and LA have sprung up in the past couple of years, converting old delivery trucks to mobile fashion boutiques, which means that if customers place orders or plan to congregate in a particular area, the shop can come to them, not the other way around.

This approach seems to strike a happy medium between pure e-commerce and high street shopping, since many people who buy clothes via safe shopping online are unable to assess whether a garment will fit well or look good before they commit to the purchase. This leads to lots of returns and so having the clothing available to try on in a fashion van, before making a decision, seems sensible.

No doubt, this approach to retail will be test driven in London before long, if it has not already happened in one of the more stylish areas of the capital. And it could be a good way for retailers of all sizes to reconnect with customers who may have become detached as a result of the range of choice available online.

Fashion is one of the web’s biggest growth areas, as more Brits spend more cash on clothing and accessories. Bu there is still room for new platforms to emerge and enhance the experience.